Can washing device



June 16, 1931. J. woLFlNG-ER 1,810,511

CAN WASHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 7, 1929 2 SheetsSheet 1 27% @www June 16, 1931. J. woLFlNGER CAN WASHING DEVIICE 2 Shelets-Sheet 2 Filed OCT.. 7. 1929 srl. ,L

'50 ed in operative position;

Patented June 16, 1931Y cnny wnsnine nevica v 'Application fueacatcher 7, 1929.3seri1' m1391933.

This invention relates to improvements in can washin-g devices. e, V One of the objects of my invention is ythe provision of af'can washing device which is isi particularly adapted for use kin :cleansing f f rne'taly cans which are usedin the 'process' of canning fruits, vegetables, and the like so as to thoroughly cleanse thesecans beforey the material isr placedtherein to "be sealedf lAnother object of `the present invention is. the provision 'of a can washing device` wherein the cans are fed through the machine in an inverted position with'fluid injected into the interior of thecans as they pass through 'the machine so as to thoroughly cleanse the cans while being passed through the machine.

A urtherobject of vthe invention is the provision oi a can washing machine wherein the cans'are passed into the machine in a subst-auf i' 20 tiallyhorizo-nt'al position, are then moved to an invertedfposition with jets of cleansing fluid directed into the interior ofthe inverted cans to thoroughly cle-anse them and then have the cans returned to a horizontal posi-y tion upon leaving the machine,'together with means whereby the machine is tho-roughly 4drained of'any accumulationof water so as l to maintain the saine in a sanitary condition. A-still further obi ectoi the invention is the 'provision'of a can washing device'wherein lthe cans arey slowly moved through the maf chine yand the movement of ythe cans is-fcontrolled byr a mani'pulated operated device which also controls 'the flow of cleansingiiuid moving through the rmachine, thev cleansing fluid is turned on and when the'omovement-of the 'cans through the machine 'is stopped, the supply of'cleansing fluid will be simultane- Ousyut pff i' ,e With y he .above and other `objects in view, the invention consists .in the novelfeatures of constructiointhe combination andl arrange nient of partsfhereinafter more fully; set 15 forth, pointed vout inthe claims and shown in the accompanying drawings wherein l Figure l is a side elevation of .a can wash-y ing device 'constructed in accordance with my f inventi'onand illustrating thesame supportf .into the machine whereby when the cans are` Figure 2 is a plan view on afsomewhat larger scalethan the' showinfgin Figure l; Y Figure 3 is adetail vertical section taken on the line 3-'3 oijF-igure n i Figure i is a transverse -se'c'tion'on the line 55 .n

otFigureS'gand `FigureA 5 is a detail section lon the line 5 5 0iilligiire.I` Y.

Referring moreA particnlarlyV to the drawfj ings, it will be 'noted that I'provide an elini- 50 gated housing ,nl having a comparatively large opening`2` in thetop thereofwhich is normally closed bymeans of a cover 3".y One end ofthe top portion is provided with are# ceiving opening through which thefca'ns are 55 passed, suitable guide means'lil being pro- 'vided on the topof the housing for receiving the cans in kal horizontal position wherebyV the cans are fed downwardly/throughtheopene ing 5on 'the vtop fontothe interior guidef -70 This interi-or kguide is Sio-arranged that while the causare fed intothe housing 1 inia sub# sta-ntially horizontal fpcsitiom the innerv end of thefguide is spiral for turning the I'canstop inverted position Awhereby they travel 7i through a esubstantiallly rectangular v guide" After the cans pass' the exit end of the guide 7 theyai'e dii recrea-iai@ secan-aspiiiflguidee which. returns thecans teja horizont'al-pesition VB9 directs them A* onto a' gnideway' lxwhjere they are conveyed oli'foruse,-

y Theriozzles 9l are l ,supported fbylY and haveV communicat'oii f with 'al subetanti-ally'4 hori y In order that the cans wilflv-ber-continuously vof which are formed with rounded sleeves 16 toengage the cans, as shown in Figure 3. This rotatable member 14 1s mounted upon the inner end of a horizontally disposed shaft 17 and keyed for sliding movement upon the shaft is a grooved pulley 18 engaged by a yoke 19 on a pivoted lever 20.

The outer end of the shaft 17 is preferably threaded and is supported in a suitable bearing 21 eXteriorly of the housing and mounted upon the shaft and engaging the inner face ofthe bearing is a nut 22, while a washer nut 23 is loosely mounted upon the other end of the threaded portion. Arranged upon the shaft 17 for rotative movement relative to the shaft isa-epu-lley 24 which comprises a main disc 25, a friction disc 26 and a clamping drum 27. The main disc 25 is freely rotatable upon the shaft 17 and has a key oper-v ating in an annular groove28 in the shaftY whereby tov maintain this disc against sliding movement on the shaft. The clamping drum 27 is provided with a sleeve 29, one end of which is engaged by thevnut 23, while the friction `disc 26 is arranged between the drum 27, and the disc 25.

It will beY apparent from the foregoing that friction between the drum 27 and disc 25-can be adjusted by the coil spring 30 mounted on the threaded end of the shaft between the nut 22 and washer nut 23 and 'will maintain the drum 27 in an adjusted position. Y

As the pulley 24 is freely rotatable upon the shaft 17,. movement can be conveyed to a finger `31 which'projects laterally from the pulley 24;.enga-ging afinger 32 which extends radially from the .pulley 18. These two lingers are brought intoy engagement through the sliding movement of the pulley 18 on the shaft 17. u i

The lever 2O is pivotally mounted upon a suitable bracket 33 carried by the housing 1 by means of the pivot bolt 34.. The outer free end of the lever is movable in a guide 35 and has a handle portion-365whereby the lever l may be'lmanipulated and as the lever is con nectedto the control valve 14. it will be noted that when .the pulley,18 is adjusted on shaft 17 for impartinga rotative movement to shaft 17, the valve 14 will be opened, providing va supply of Huid to the nozzles 9. When the shaft 17 is rotated, kthe arms 15 Vengage thecans in the. guide 6 and move the cans forwardly through theA guides and 7 where, while thecans are passingthrough the guide 7, fluid jets 8 will be directed upwardly into theinterior of the cans for thoroughly cleansing them.

It will be noted from the above construction that when the clutchmechanism between pulley 24 and shaft 17 is disengaged, the valve 14 is likewise closed simultaneously so that when there is no movement of the cans through the guideways, there will be no supply of cleansing fluid.

In order to take care of the waste water during the washing of the cans as they pass through theL housing, a drain pipe 37 is arranged for communication with the bottom of the housing so that the water, after being directed into the cansand thence onto the bottom of the housing, can be carried oft through the drain pipe 37.

In controlling the washing device for use, it is preferred to have the housing 1 supported in a. slightly inclined position-so that the waste water will always flow toward the waste pipe 37 and asillustrated in Figure 1, the housing is supported upon suitable cross pieces 38, the ends of which project beyond thesides of the housing and have passed therethrough the supporting rods 39, the up-.

per ends of which are connected to the ceiling of thebuilding in which the device is nection with the accompanying drawings, it f will be apparent that I have provided a very simple and inexpensive washing device -whereby the cans may be readily passed into the device andthen passed through the same by means of Vsuitable guides which move the machine to an inverted position and then re- 'turn them toa horizontal position, the cans being moved forwardly in consecutive order so v that one'follows directly behind the other and in intimate contact. By feeding the cans in this'manner, the cans will be consecutively passed over thenozzles 9so that they will all receive the jets of cleansing fluid from the nozzles whereby, after the cans have passed Vthe nozzles 9 .they willb'e Vassured'of a'thorough cleansing before beingreturned to their horizontal position.`

vIt will also be' noted that the housing-will be thoroughly drained as theA waste outlet 37 is located adjacent thev lowermost end of the housing so that 'all of the waste cleansing 'fluid will be directed toward jthis end of the housingandpas's out through the waste pipe. Another feature which I wish to call attention tois the fact thatthemajor portion of the top wall'of the housing is open and is normally closed by means of the cover 3 whereby this cover may be removed in case the cans get stuck in the guidesA or if anything gets installed, while the nuts 40 are threaded on .f9.0

i out of place with the nozzles or fluid feeding spirit of the same or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: v j

1. In a canwashing device, an elongated housing, a guide extending into the housing at one end for receiving the cans in a horizontal position, a central rectangular guide with a spiral guide connecting the first guide and the central guide whereby to move the cans from a horizontal-to an upended position, means for injecting fluid into the upended cans as they pass through the central guide, a feeding device including a rotor n having radially disposed arms movable in the 'path of the cans in the first guide for engaging said cans and forcing them through the spiral guide and into the central guide, and means for simultaneously imparting movement to the rotor for moving the cans Y through the guides and turning on the fluid supply for cleansing the cans as they pass through the central guide.

2. In a can washing machine, an elongated .Y housing, a guide for receiving the cans into extending through the housing, av rotatable n member on the shaft having radial arms for engagement with thecans, a grooved pulley A keyed to the shaft', a' drivepulley loosely mounted on the shaft, cofengaging lingers carriedV by the two pulleys, a pivoted lever having a yoke engaging the'grooved pulley whereby lateral movement ofthe lever will actuate the Ygrooved pulley to move the fingers thereon inthe path of the lingers on the loose-V `ly mounted pulley whereby to impart rotative movement'to the shaft, and a fluid control valvehaving connection with the lever whereby the movement of the arms and the valve may be controlled simultaneously.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Dundas, in the county of Calumet and State of Wisconsin.

JOSEPH WOLFINGER.

the housing in a horizontal position, a central 1 Y rectangular guideway in the housing, means for moving the cans from a horizontal to an upended position while being'passed to the central guide, a plurality of nozzles arranged beneath the central guide kfor injecting ak cleansing fluid into the cans as they pass therethrough, a valve for controlling the flow of cleansing fluid to the nozzles, a shaft eX- tending horizontally throughthe housing, a

y rotor on the shaft, radially disposedarms carkso ried by the rotor and movable in the path of the cans in the'first guide, whereby to engager the cans and force them through the housing, a grooved pulley keyed to the shaft, a drive pulley loosely mounted thereon, engaging lingers carried by the two pulleys adapted to cooperate for rotating said shaftk and a pivoted lever having one end engaging the grooved pulley and the other end connected with the fuid control valve whereby to simultaneously impart movement to the rotor for ymoving the cans through the guides and actuate the valvefor supplying iuid to the nozzles. 3. In a can washing machine, a housing,

guide-means yleading through the housing through which the cans are movable, a shaft 

